US keenness for a China trade deal is being seen by some as increasingly tied to how that may affect the president’s chances of winning the 2020 polls, says the latest trade report of global trade law firm Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg (ST&R). If the two sides cannot conclude a pact, President Donald Trump could raise tariffs on imports from China to gain leverage.

An agreement that secures suitably strong terms for the United States could aid Trump’s re-election bid, but if that cannot be accomplished, he could follow through with threats to hike tariffs on more than $300 billion worth of additional imports from China as a show of strength to voters, a press release from the company said citing the trade report. (DS)